The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1887-11-29
GEORGIA AND OHIO.
The Buckeye Compared With
the Empire State.
IMPORTED STOCK AS BEEF CATTLE

AMERiCuS, TIA, November M--Ffom grass
to live stock is natural transition, for with
out grass there can be little profit in stock
raising, and without live stock there can be
but partial profit in grass.
II is probable that the reason that there is
so little live stock raised in the south is be-
cause so little attention has been paid to grass.
Whether that be the reason or not, the fact
remains that in the Gulf states there has, for
the past twenty-five years, been little or no at
tention paid to the raising of stock.
There is no means of accurately arriving at
the amount of money paid out by the farmers
of these states for horses and mules, and re-
gree it, for L am sure the figures would be so
startling as to arouse our people to the import
ance OF at least raising enough for home de-
mand.
From the number of horses and mules an
nually sold i'll Americas should judge that
not less than one hundred thousand dollars
per year is paid by the farmers of southwest
Georgia for live stock to run their farms No
wonder that our farmers complain that there
is no profit in farming.
Not one farmer in ten raises single horse
or mule. Not one in a hundred raises enough
to keep his farm stocked. There is not one
who could not raise enough to stock his farm
at comparatively no expense.
The hundred thousand dollars paid out by
farmers of southwest Georgia for horses and
mules each year. at ten per cent, represents
the interest on one million of dollars. Ono
horse or mule represents the interest on ono
thousand dollars A five-mule farmer will
on an average, buy one mule a year, or pay
the interest one thousand dollars of his
capital That mule could be raised by him at
an expense of not exceeding twenty-five dol
lars, and even that l consider a large esti-
mate.
Now where do these horses and mules that
our farmers purchase come from?
Principally from Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana
and Illinois All grass growing states.
Now let us look at the manner in which
these horses and mules are raised--it may give
our Georgia farmers some idea of how they
can raise their own stock.
Ip the states named above there are very
few exclusive stock farms, and they are do
voted to the raising of blooded stock, so that
no portion of our supply comes from them. 1t
is from the small farms, ranging in extent
from eighty to two hundred acres, that the
horses and mules we buy come from. Your
small farmer in Ohio has from two to four
brood mares on his farm, and each of these
mares produces him each year o colt. These
brood mares are used in working tho farm, so
that their colts can be considered as clear
profit, except the cost of their raising, which
amounts to but little. AS soon as the colts are
Weaned they are turned out to grass until
winter, when they are stabbed and fed on hay,
the next spring are again turned into the pas
ture. When they are between two and three
years old they are broke to harness, but not
put at heavy work. AT the age of three years
they are ready for market, and bring from $50
to $780, according to size and style. Remem-
Der, now, that | am speaking of common farm
stock. A farmer with two brood mares will
sell, say six horses in five years and keep up
his stock on the farm. These will bring him
in $500, or the interest on 81 600 for five years.
so that the farmer in Ohio receives the interest
which his Georgia brother pays.
The Georgia farmer could if he wonld
raise his horses and mules cheaper than can
the Ohio farmer With q little thoughtful
caro- he could have pasturage the year round,
SO that food would cost him comparatiyeIy
nothing. He would not be obliged to shelter
and feed his stock for from three to five
months i'll the year, for at no time is the
weather so cold i'll southwest Georgia as to
make warm shelter necessary. A rough
shed would answer all purposes for shelter.
That horses can be profitably raised in this
section has been demonstrated by Captain John
A. Cobb and others of this county and the
Salters of Dougherty county, and their influ-
ence is being slowly felt. AS an instance of
the profit of horse-raising in this section /
mention the fact that Captain Cobb was Of
Tered $500 for two-year-old FLY which took
the premium at the state fair The colt is Of
good racing stock and bids fair to show extra
ordinary speed. Captain Cobb has several
large plantations, and is recognized as being
one of our most intelligent and successful
farmers lie has become convinced that grass
and stock-raising is more profitable than cot
ton, and is stocking his farms as fast as prac-
ticable with grass, and has purchased fine
stallion and q number of brood mares.
A few years ago colt show was held in
Americas, and at it were exhibited some
twenty colts, and they were as fine as have
ever seen at county fairs in the north. And
yet have had intelligent men tell me tme
and again that horses could not be raised in
southwest Georgia. / once asked one of these
men why horses could not be raised here He
answered me that it was because tho colts all
got the "bighead," Upon inquring as TO tho
nature of this disease, / was informed that it
was an enlargement of the jaws caused by eat
ing dry corn before they were able to properly
masticate it. ''Well, then, why don't you
feed them on grass?" said l. 1--WE can't raise
grass" was the reply.
OF late years there has been considerable
improvement in cattle in this section. Many
Jerseys have been introduced and there arc
some fine herds. Those who first introduced
them were laughed at as Clancy farmers" and
were considered foolish and extraYa-
CANT for paying 500 for a
COW, when "scrub" could be bought for from
$40 to $50. But those who laughed tho loud
est are now willing to pay even larger sum
i'll proportion for the calves of these Jersey
cows The difference between three gallons
and three pints converted them. But do not
regard the quantity Of milk as being entirely
due to the breed Of cattle, for / notice that
while the owner Of "scrub" COW let's her run
at large and look out for herself, the owner Of
a Jersey keeps her up in good pasture, and sees
that she is well taken care Of In this respect
the Jerseys have been good educators, and TO
them we owe much Of the good butter which
is now plentiful in our market.
But what we need most in this section OF
large farms and cheap lands is better grade
of beef cattle. The Kimball house in Atlanta,
the Lanier in Macon, the Mitchell and Piney
Woods at Thomasville, and all the winter re-
sort hotels of the south import their beef from
the north and yet you can find plenty OF
Georgia farmers who will tell you that it does
not pay 10 raise cattle, because there is no
home market for them. That some Of them
do find homo market, however, / can Jaw
fully mot joyfully) testify and had / been o
colt in years, | should have been afflicted with
the "big-head." In the first place, but few of
the cattle are properly fattened for the butcher;
and in the second place you can't mako
scrub weigh over six hundred pounds gross
In too many cases the preparation of cattle for
the butcher consists in COW getting so
old she wont give milk any longer and have
seen cattle driven in for sale TO the butcher
that looked like dried beef on foot As an ex-
ception, mention that u few days ago / saw a
steer with shortborn blood in his veins that
weighed a thousand pounds, and q couple of
hundred more could have been added to his
bones
The fact that the large southern hotels send
north for their beef naturally Leads uq To look